An Ontario civil servant who helped
mentally handicapped people manage their finances has
been fired and police are investigating after a
"significant" amount of money went missing from a
client's account.

Attorney General Michael Bryant said
yesterday that "irregularities" were discovered in May
when the woman, a client representative with the
provincial Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee
since 1995, went on vacation and a colleague took over
her files.

"There was apparent misappropriation of
funds, a significant amount of funds," said Bryant,
declining to provide more detail or say how much money
is missing.

"The very idea someone in a position of
trust would violate that trust is sickening," Bryant
said.

An internal probe was launched in May
and the employee, who was not identified, was suspended
pending a preliminary report. Her employment was
terminated last Thursday. The client cannot be named for
privacy reasons.

Opposition parties yesterday blamed the
Liberals for not having proper safeguards in place.
"This thing was discovered, it sounds to me, by
accident," said Progressive Conservative justice critic
Bob Runciman, a former solicitor general.

Auditor General Jim McCarter said he's
reported on other problems in the guardian's office
before, including questions about whether investment
portfolios were being managed properly, but never
allegations of theft.

"I can't say that anything really
(similar) stands out in my mind," he said yesterday.

The guardian's office administers $1
billion in financial assets for about 9,000 Ontario
citizens who are unable to govern their own affairs.
Officials are checking to see if more than one client
was cheated out of money.

Bryant also announced that former
Ontario integrity commissioner Coulter Osborne has been
hired to help guardian office clients and their families
with any concerns and to arrange for reimbursement of
any losses they suffered. At this point, there is "zero
evidence" other staff at the guardian's office have been
involved in schemes to cheat clients, Bryant said, but
McCarter, along with an outside accounting firm called
in to help, are keeping an eye out for any signs that
has happened.

"They will follow the money," Bryant
said. "The government is focused on moving as quickly as
possible."

The problem comes at a difficult time
for the Liberals, with the provincial election on Oct.
10 and lingering concern about controversial government
grants to multicultural groups – including a cricket
association that got $1 million after asking for
$150,000.

"This is yet another black eye for the
McGuinty Liberals," said New Democrat Peter Kormos
(Niagara Centre), noting the previous criticism of the
guardian's office by the auditor general.

Lynn Wallace, president and chief
executive of Variety Village, said she is appalled when
someone in a position of trust takes advantage of the
mentally challenged.

"I don't know that I have words to
express my disgust," Wallace told the Star'sMichele Henry. "Anyone who would take advantage of
their trust is reprehensible. As an organization that
supports disadvantaged individuals, this behaviour is
something I find unacceptable at the very least."

The guardian's office has a staff of 350
to oversee the financial, legal and personal interests
of about 9,000 people who cannot do it themselves or
can't call upon family members for assistance. Services
include paying bills, managing investments and making
decision about a client's personal needs – from where
they live to health care, nutrition, hygiene and
clothing. The Ontario Provincial Police anti-rackets
section began its investigation yesterday and no charges
have been laid.

Asked how long the probe could take, OPP
Det.-Sgt. Dennis Herdman said: "We have no idea."

Bryant said he wasn't aware of the
problem until July 28, when a deputy minister approached
him with the results of the preliminary internal
investigation.

"That was the first I heard of it."

He then made the decision to contact the
OPP and the auditor general, who suggested hiring the
outside accounting firm to help devise better "checks
and balances" to prevent more clients from being ripped
off.

Clients of the guardian's office and
their family members who have concerns can contact a
response team assisting Osborne at 1-866-587-5386.